in the Upper House during the Motion to Adjourn on Friday.

Sen. Neletha (Honey) Butterfield (PLP) said the issue of students choosing to skip school was a particularly troubling trend over the break.

Sen. Butterfield referred to articles and an editorial in The Royal Gazette and said the broader community needed to send out "an SOS''.

She said the PLP will continue to advance issues of truancy and absenteeism in the Legislature.

More worrying, she said, was the recent suspension of two young students from school without an alternative learning environment to attend to their needs.

"We must get serious,'' she warned. "We've got to start stopping our young people and ask why they are not in school.

"I believe there are some deeply rooted problems here that need to be addressed.

Government Senate Leader Lynda Milligan-Whyte said the Opposition often sent mixed signals to the country when it implied that the Department of Education was totally responsible for Government schools.

"It is not totally the responsibility of Government,'' she said. "We accept that providing quality education is Government's responsibility but we also need to stress the important role of families to ensure that students go to school, have the proper grounding, necessary values and behaviour patterns.'' Sen. Milligan Whyte said the problem required a partnership of parents and Government.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said the Opposition will be pushing for Daniel's Head to be taken from the Bermuda Land Development Company and placed under Government.

He said an inquiry was needed to look into why no-one was interested in developing the property when the Sandys Action Group had spoken at length about its ideas for the use of the land.

Opposition Senate Leader Milton Scott , who has been criticising the poor state of repair of the Upper House for some time, yesterday praised the new drapes and lighting that were installed.

But he said the President still needed a proper office in which to work as well as clerical staff to assist Senators in their work.

Sen. Larry Scott (UBP) said the Senate served a constitutionally important function and it was important for Senators to stand up for themselves and demand suitable facilities.